Cootie Catcher
by Dreamers Deranged
Summary: Because girl legend is never wrong, and the sooner Naruto realized that, the better.


Disclaimer: Blah, blah, I claim nothing, same old, same old.

A/N: Yo! So, while working on the last chapter for my other fic, I was playing with this cootie catcher I found at the bottom of one of my dresser drawers that's crammed with a bunch of other junk except clothes. Because for some reason I can never use a dresser the way it's supposed to be used... Anyway, playing with the thing and ended up with a result that reminded me of Hinata with Naruto. So there ya go and see ya later.

xxx

"What's that?"

Sakura was forced to stop walking and look up from the folded paper in her hands. In front of her was none other than her blonde teammate who had leaned in closer for a better view of the object and extended a finger to give it a little poke.

"Where'd you come from?" she asked a bit surprised, pulling the paper back from him.

"I've been trying to get your attention," Naruto said. "But I guess you were so wrapped up in that thing that you couldn't hear me. So, what is it?"

"This," she began and raised the paper up higher, "is a cootie catcher." (1)

Naruto tilted his head. "A whatty what?"

"A cootie catcher," the pinkette repeated.

"Wait a minute, you mean there's such thing as cooties? How does that catch them, it's just paper."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "No, stupid, there's no such thing as cooties. It's just a name."

"How'd it get that name?" he asked.

Sakura made to reply but couldn't think of a word to say. In all honesty, she didn't even know the answer to that.

"Look, it doesn't matter," she said. "It's called a cootie catcher, but all it really is, is a fortune teller."

"So why not just call it a fortune teller?" the blonde questioned, sounding a bit smug for finding so many things to inquire after.

Sakura closed her eyes and sighed. "Naruto."

"Yeah?"

"Don't make me hit you."

Naruto stepped back away from her. "So... what's so special about it?" he asked, wanting to move away from the last subject.

"Cootie catchers are a major part of girl culture," she explained. "Everything that is foretold by them can't be taken lightly because girl legend says that chance is like fate and should never be second guessed. And girl legend is never wrong."

Naruto suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and opted for asking, "How does it work?"

"Here," she said and positioned her fingers at the bottom. "I'll show you. Pick a color."

Naruto looked over the four colors on top. "They're all pretty girlie."

"Will you just pick a color?!"

"Alright, alright. Uh... I'll take blue, I guess."

"'Kay, B-L-U-E," she spelled out. "Now pick a flower."

Naruto looked around. "I don't see any flowers. I could run over to Ino's flower shop-"

"No," she cut him off. "Look inside. Do you see those flower names?"

Naruto peered into the opened note. "Flowers?... Uh, carnation? Does that sound manly?"

Sakura ignored his last questions and went on to spell it out. "C-A-R-N-A-T-I-O-N. Okay, now pick another flower."

"Another one? 'Kay... Think manly, think manly," he chanted below his breath. "Lavender... Wow, that sounded different in my head."

Sakura flipped the triangular flap up. "Okay, you're fortune says: 'Someone is devotedly yours'."

Naruto broke out into a wide grin and chuckled. "Ah, Sakura-chan, I knew it all along."

This time she did hit him.

"Don't be so full of it!" she exclaimed and stalked off, muttering about how she couldn't believe what he had thought or something along those lines.

Naruto reached up and clutched the top of his head, not even bothering to hold back a pain induced sound. He spun around to face her retreating figure.

"You didn't have to hit me!" he called out to her.

He turned around and decided to go off in the opposite direction of the girl. The hit in itself had made his day worse, but the whole event had gotten him into a bad mood. It wasn't everyday that a piece of paper told someone that another person out there was devoted to them exclusively. That in itself was strenuous, but to not even know who it is and then be hit for wanting to clear the matter up was not only confusing, but rather painful.

'Maybe a bowl of ramen would get me in a better mood,' he thought.

Halfway through his walk over to Ichiraku's, he came across Kiba who looked like he was in search for someone. Curious as ever, Naruto made over for him.

"Hey, Kiba," he called out to the approaching boy.

Kiba went ahead and waved back. "Naruto," he said. "I've been looking for you."

Naruto stopped and rested his hands at the back of his head. "Eh? What for?"

"Needed a favor," the other boy said.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Not very surprising," he said slightly agitated.

Kiba raised an eyebrow at his tone. "What's got you in such a bad mood?"

Naruto waved his hand to the side. "It's this weird fortune telling thing I just did. Won't leave me alone."

"Fortune telling?" Kiba asked. "Where'd you do something like that?"

"Sakura-chan," the blonde began to explain. "This weird paper thing she had. Made me choose a color, then two flowers, then told me that someone was devotedly mine."

"Devotedly yours?" Kiba repeated then broke out into a small smirk. "Heh, sounds like Hinata."

Naruto tilted his head. "Eh?"

"Aw, c'mon, you can't tell me that you haven't even noticed by now. Why do you think she does what she does around you?"

"'Cause she's kinda weird?" he answered unsure.

Kiba blinked before breaking out into a laugh. "No, you're just kinda dumb," Kiba said and walked past him. "Later then."

"Wait," Naruto said and looked after him. "What didja want?"

"Doesn't really matter now," Kiba called back at him. "Looks like you've got some other stuff to think about."

Naruto stood rooted in his position, contemplating Kiba's last words to him. On the one hand, he could completely dismiss what new information he had just learned from the boy and go about his own way as if he hadn't heard it at all. And on the other, he could seriously take it into consideration and do something about it. Like actually do something about it to see if it really was true, which also entailed looking for Hinata and finding away around her shyness to unlock said truth.

'What's the chance of Hinata actually liking me?' he ended up asking himself. 'Really, when has Hinata ever shown any interest in anybody. Seems kinda weird and like if couldn't be true, but then again Kiba is on her team and has known her longer, so maybe he does know what he's talking about. But then again it is Kiba...'

Naruto shrugged and started walking again.

'And even if it was true, what could I do about it? I suppose I could take her out for a day or something, not really like a date or anything, but kinda like... whadaya call it? I dunno.. But it's not like seeing where something could go would hurt, right? And after all girl legend- What the hell am I thinking about? Girl legend, what the hell? This hurts my head... Ah, I'm confused. How typical of me..'

He paused in mid-step. Standing in front of the ramen shop was the Hyuuga girl herself, fidgeting in her trademark way and looking unsure about whether or not she should enter the establishment. He approached her in a cautious manner.

"Hey, Hinata,"

Hinata, who was so wrapped up within her own thoughts, turned towards him both quickly and surpised. Her eyes widened in to their normal form when around her crush and instantly began to blush.

"N-Naruto-kun," she stuttered and looked down at the ground whlie moving her hands closer to her chest.

Naruto stepped closer to her and even bent down to get a better view of her face. If it was even possible, she seemed to have shrinked into herself all the more, even screwing her eyes shut.

'Very shy like, though I know I've seen her not so shy when others are around,' he though. 'Face is red. I always thought it was 'cause she had a fever or something, but it only started when she saw me. So, what? Is she embarrassed?'

He l\stood up and stepped back, a little hurt for some reason when her body lossened up, as if she was relived that he had moved away.

'It's kind of a weird way to act around someone you like, isn't it?' he wondered. 'I know Sakura-chan never acted that way with Sasuke. If I remember right, she didn't bother to hide how she felt. But then again, Hinata isn't Sakura-chan...'

It was just then, that a sort of epiphany hit him. 'No... Hinata-chan isn't like Sakura at all.'

"Hinata-chan," he said, causing her to look up if only a little. "How'd you like to get some ramen with me?"

Her eyes grew in size, proving that they could widen even more, at the invitation. She briefly had an internal struggle with finding her voice before breathing out a barely audible "Yes", but the nod of her head given with the response was all Naruto needed to see to know that his offer was accepted.

"Great," he said with a grin. "Then maybe afterwards we could get some cinnamon rolls. You like them, right?"

Hinata inhaled sharply and nodded again. "Yes," she answered softly. "I l-like them.. very much."

His smile remained in place while he led her into the shop. In all honesty, he was looking forward to spending some time with her. After all, if it all came to nothing, then at least he gave it a shot. And if it did come to something, then he'd have something to thank Sakura for. And girl legend.

xxx

End.

xxx

(1) For anyone who doesn't know what a cootie catcher is, I took pictures. Not really good pictures 'cause the battery was running low. Anyway, just follow the links that are in my section of the group profile if you really don't know and want to. Right then, Laith Weasley, over and out.


End file.
